36. C. lenticulàris, Michx. Rather slender but erect, pale throughout, 1–2° high; culm sharp, usually slightly rough above; leaves very narrow, numerous, much surpassing the culm; spikes 3–6, more or less aggregated or the lowest remote, the terminal androgynous or staminate, mostly sessile, erect; perigynium ovate, minutely granular, brown-nerved, the tip empty and entire; scale pale and obtuse, about ½ the length of the perigynium.—Gravelly borders of ponds and lakes, northern N. Eng. to Minn.; mostly local.
[=][=] Spikes widely spreading or drooping.
37. C. tórta, Boott. Slender but erect, 1½–2½° high, in clumps, with exceedingly tough and cord-like roots; culm rather sharp, smooth or roughish above; leaves flat and rather soft, those of the culm very short; spikes 3–5, mostly somewhat approximate or the lower remote, the upper sessile and ascending but the others drooping, long and slender (often 3´ long, 2´´ broad or less); perigynium lance-ovate, thin and green, nerveless, the slim upper half empty and more or less tortuous, the beak entire or erose; scale purple-margined and very obtuse, shorter than the perigynium.—Cold banks and swamps, Vt. to N. C.; infrequent.
[++][++] Stigmas 2; scales long-acute and ascending.
38. C. salìna, Wahl., var. cuspidàta, Wahl. Rather stout, 1–2½° high; culm rather sharp, smooth; leaves narrow but flat; spikes 2–4, somewhat approximate, the lowest 1 or 2 very short-stalked, erect, short (1½´ or less) and rather thick, the lower subtended by leaf-like bracts 3–4´ long; perigynium elliptic, somewhat granular, marked with 2 or 3 nerves or nerveless, the minute beak entire; scale brown-margined, produced into a lighter and rough awn much exceeding the perigynium. (C. salina, Man.)—Salt marshes, Mass., and along the coast northward; rare in the United States. (Eu.) Anomalous forms, which appear to be hybrids, have been separated as
C. strícta × salìna, Bailey. Spikes thinner and more scattered, more inclined to be peduncled; scales blunt or short-awned, little exceeding the perigynium.—Near Boston, Mass., W. Boott, Morong.
[++][++][++] Stigmas 3.
39. C. prasìna, Wahl. Slender, somewhat flexuose, 1½–2½° high; culm rather sharp, smooth; leaves very narrow, soft and flat, rough; spikes 2–3, peduncled and spreading or drooping, somewhat approximate, green, 1–2´ long, narrow and loosely flowered; perigynium pale, narrowly triangular-ovate, thin, nearly nerveless, produced into a short but slender entire or minutely toothed beak; scale very thin and acute, nearly colorless, shorter than the perigynium. (C. miliacea, Muhl.)—Meadows and bogs, Vt. to Mich., and southward; infrequent.
[*] 3.—[+] 4. Cryptocárpæ.
40. C. marítima, O. F. Mueller. Mostly stout, 1–2½° high; culm sharp, smooth or rough above; spikes 2–6, scattered, all or all but the upper one on very long weak stalks and pendulous, 1–3´ long and thick and bushy, usually staminate at top; perigynium nearly orbicular, pale, few-nerved or nerveless, the beak very short and entire or nearly so; scale produced into a greenish rough awn 3–8 times as long as the perigynium.—Salt marshes of the coast, Mass., Maine, and northward; not common. Leaves smooth, broad and flat. (Eu.)